1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic sound effect assemblies that electronically produce music, words or other sounds when activated. More particularly, the present invention relates to sound effect assemblies that are activated when a score occurs during a sporting event.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many sports contain goals through which a ball or puck must enter in order to obtain points. In many of these sports, the goal is reinforced with a net to catch or slow the ball or puck, as the ball or puck passes into the goal. Examples of sports that have goals with nets include, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, field hockey, water polo and basketball.
Basketball is a sport that is popular throughout the world. In the game of basketball, points are scored by throwing a basketball through an elevated hoop. A net is suspended from the hoop to slow the basketball as it passes through the hoop and to make a scoring shot more visually obvious. Over the years numerous electronic devices have been added to basketballs and basketball hoops to add novelty to the game and to make the game more interesting to play, especially with children.
Many of the electronic devices that have been developed are used to keep score. In these devices, a mechanism is provided that changes a score on a scoreboard each time a basketball is detected passing through the hoop. Many of these devices also contain light or buzzers that are also activated when the basketball passes through the hoop. Such prior art scoring devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,534,067 to Rubin, entitled Adjustable Basketball Hoop Mounting and U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,430, to Branner, entitled Register. Such prior art devices are complex assemblies that can only be used with custom built hoops. These devices cannot be retroactively added to existing basketball hoops.
There also exist many sound effect devices that are built into novelty basketball hoops, such as basketball hoops that are placed over office trashcans. These sound effect devices produce noise each time any item is thrown through the hoop, thereby adding to the novelty of the device. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,185 to McMahan, entitled Novelty Basketball Goal Producing Sound Effects On Made Shot; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,569 to Hale, entitled Device For Converting A Container Into A Figure To Simulate An Interactive Game. However, such prior art devices are assemblies that can only be used with custom built novelty hoops. These devices cannot be retroactively added to existing regulation basketball hoops.
In the prior art there is at least one electronic device that can be retroactively applied to a regulation basketball hoop. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,928 to Hsieh, entitled Ball Basket. In the Hsieh patent, a device is shown that produces audio-photo effects when a ball passes through the net suspended below the hoop. The device contains a string that must be threaded through the web of the net below the hoop. The string is strung into a circle that has the same diameter as the basketball. Consequently, when a basketball passes through the hoop, the circle of string is stretched and activates the electronic device.
The disadvantages of the device described in the Hsieh patent are numerous. First, it takes a good deal of effort to weave the string of the Hsieh device through the weave of a basketball net that is suspended ten feet above the ground. Furthermore, the presence of the string in the net of the hoop effects the characteristics of the net. The presence of the circle of string on the net increases the tautness of the net immediately below the hoop. The net may then act as a trampoline and bounce some shots out of the basket that normally would fall through the basket.
A need therefore exists for a sound effect device that can be easily added to or removed from a regulation basketball hoop that is activated each time a basketball passes through that hoop. A need also exists for a sound effect device that can be added to a regulation basketball hoop that does not adversely effect the physical characteristics of either the basketball hoop or the net suspended under the basketball hoop. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a sound effect assembly that attaches to the net of a goal. When a goal is made, the ball or puck used to make the goal jostles the net behind or below the goal. The sound effect device contains a sensor that either detects the motion of the net or the passing of the ball/puck. When the sound effect assembly is activated, the sound effect device generates audible sounds, preferably that of a cheering crowd. The sound effects may or may not also be accompanied by flashing lights. Accordingly, each time a goal is made, the sound effect device produces the sounds of a cheering crowd.
The sound effect device is produced in a very small housing that hooks onto the net of a goal. In this manner, the attachment of the sound effect device to the net does not adversely effect the characteristics of the net or the odds of making a goal by a person playing the sport.